San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-20

CHAPTER XXIY. y CAEAOf MARRY YoUW
"Shc is false ant nckle-not worthy any
mans second thought" said Louis Char
teris to himself, as ne turned away from
the railing near the Magazine. Il will not
see her tomorrow" And he went back to
the Office and wrote letter to Valerie full
of bitter reproaches, which he tore mp as
soon as 1t was finished Hope was not so
dead within him as he had imagined; and
he woke up on Thursday morning with the
resolve to 90 and see Valerie. Surely she
could not intend to throw him over for a
fellow like Lawford, rich though the latter
wasl
The young man knew not whether he
hoped most or feared most when he took
his way to Upper Brook Street, but he
rallied himself as he drew near the house,
and was able to ask calmly for Miss Her
bert.
The footman, who had his orders, con-
Quoted the young man at once to the
drawing-room, and. opening the door, an
nounced:
Mr.. Charters"
For a moment Louis only saw, as II
through mist, a tall, slender form stand.
ing at the other side of the room, a CLEAN
Of golden hair, a flow of white draperies;
but as the figure moved forward slowly,
the mist rolled away, and he beheld Va
lerie clearly, her face as white as her robes,
her large eyes fixed on his with a strange
mingling of fear and appeal, and all the
power Of her rare and pathetic beauty re-
asserted itself and held him in its spell.
He sprang forward; he would have clasped
the girl in his arms, but she stopped short,
and with wild gesture, with almost cry,
checked the impulse. He reeled back.
"ValerieP' he gasped, half dizzy with the
sudden revulsion.
mot thatl' said the girl, hoarsely, her
lips, every limb quivering-'thatc can never
be againl Louis, bear with me- OH what
can l say to you-how shall tell your"
But Louis only stood and looked at her,
the flush on his cheek fading slowly away
and leaving intense paleness. He seemed
incapable Of speech.
Valerie went on, desperately:
1T was a mistake from the beginning
on my part. But how should | know II
them loved you only as | had always
loved you, and as love you now. can
not marry you, Louls-I cannot-I cannot"
Stay" said the young man, hoarsely.
He moved a step nearer to her. "Have
they taught you to be untruthiul as well
as mercenary and worldly? You loved me
until you learned to love wealth, and ad.
miration, and position more. Az, you may
shrink from me"-for instinctively she had
recOiled before the accusation so false, yet
against which she dare not defend herself
tb,,t E,,n hot 4.
You are breaking your promise to me for
the sake Of man you do not and never
will love; but he is millionaire, and ]
have nothing. He will load you with jew.
els, and give you all else that you have
learned to value so much more than love.
And you will count yourself happy. Hap.
pyp' he laughed, harshly. And II But
what is that to your No matter what !
suffer, II you can be the reignipg beauty
and the wife Of man whose wealth will
enable you to outstrip every other woman"
Not a word did Valerie utter; not by o
sign or gesture did she offer to interrupt
this TRADE, which Louis poured out, not
standing still, but walking eXcitedly ur
and down. She only set her teeth in silent
endurance. He wronged her. but she must
bear it, Better thousand times that he
should believe all that he had accused her
Of than even suspect the truth. She had SC
dreaded the charge!
at is Max Beauregard who stands be
tween us, For his sake you are false to
mep'
She breathed mole freely when told that
she was untrnthful, mercenary, worldly.
1t was hard to be misjudged by one she
30 dearly loved. But when Max Beaure-
gard must so misjudge her, and she could
endure it, what other suffering could over.
tax her powers of endurance?
Louis paused suddenly, looked at the
mOtiOnless figure, the white face of the
girl, and drew near TO her again.
WHAT he said, have you no answer
no denialY For Heavens sake Valerie "